bowers



(No Model.) 3 SheensSheet 1;,

A. M. BOWERS= LEATHER FINISHING MACHINE.

No. 367,952. I H Pal/cent;di Ag lg. 9, 1887.

- WITN ESSES:\- -|NVENTOR:

@MM wwevwnzfiowem,

BY A 'ATTYS (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2-.

I v A. M'. BOWERS.

- LEATHER FINISHING MACHINE.

No. 367,952. I Patented Aug. 9, 1887.

-WITNESSES:- .-|NVENTOH!-" 0 .fllbenb OLUY7J BY W A s,

(No Model.) 3 She ets--Sheefi 3.

A. M. BOWERS.

LEATHER FINISHING MAGHINE.

No. 367,952. v Patented Aug. 9, 1887.

IT J nfiflmu II ILLMIHH I w|TNEss-Es --lNVENT0Rlalbevfb Whliowers.

7%? BY WATT'YS.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT MILTON BowEns, or NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

LEATHER-V-FIINISH-ING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 367,952, dated August 9, 1887.

Application filed January 29, 1887. Serial No. 225,871. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT MILTON Bow- ERS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Newark,in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have .invented certain new and useful Improvements in Leather Fi nishing Machines; and I- do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification. i

This invention relates to certain improvements in that class of leather-finishing machines illustrated in my prior application, filed July 29, 1886, Serial No. 209,375, the object being to more perfectly imitate that hand process known in the art or trade as staking, and to adapt the machine for certain peculiar branches of staking which heretofore could only be accomplished bya comparatively slow hand process.

The invention consists in the arrangements and combinations of parts,snbstantiall y as will be hereinafter set forth, and finally embodied in the clauses of the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, embraced in three sheets, in which like letters indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures, Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a side ele-, vation of my improved machine, showing the relation of the several co-operating parts. Fig. 2, Sheet 2, is a detail view in plan of certain rollers and belts; and Fig. 3 is a front pr face view of the same, the belt being removed. Figs. 4, 5, 6 are detail views, which will be hereinafter more fully described, Fig. 5 being a section through line :0, Fig.6.

In said drawings, Aindieates asuitable frame for the working parts, which in many respects (as also do many of said working parts) resemble that shown in said prior application. B is a pendulousrocking arm,whicl1 works on a bearingportiomG, of said frame, being held up thereagainst by certain springs and end arms, D E, and given a reciprocating movenient by a crank-wheel, F, substantially as heretofore. At the lower end of said rocking arm Bis pivoted 'a head, G, which receives the connecting-rod H, by which power is communicated from the crank-wheel,the said head and upward to apoint back of the lower portion of the pendulous arm, where, preferably it engages a spring-arm, K, being thereat provided witha roller, L, journaled between said arms, which enables the clamp to slide on said springrarm without material friction.

J ournaled between the lower extremities of the arms J is a clamp, roller, or bar, M, preferably covered with rubber to present a soft surface to the leather. This engages, nearly at the end of the forward stroke of the head,

with an upwardly-extending and preferablynotched flange,N, of a cross-bar, N',co-operat ing therewith to clamp the leather and draw it backward as the connecting-rod passes backward in its upper and backward stroke. The cross-bar N extends laterally and horizontally from each side of the head G, being about five feet (more or less) in length,or sufficient to pro; vide bearings for movable leather-supporting tables, hereinafter described.

Connected with the connecting -rod H is a system of levers and rods,O P Q, the first being bolted to the connecting-rod at O and to the upper end of the lever P at O, the second,.l?,at its lower extremity being fulcrumed to the frame, as at P, and receiving the rod Q, as at P, at a point intermediatebetween its fulcrum and its upper extremity, so that as the connecting-rod and the rod 0 move'forward the rod Q moves forward also, but not with the same length of movement as the said connecting-rod, as will be evident.

The rod Q extends forward to within a short distance of the standard R. Said standard is arranged in connection with the frame so that its upper end is brought to a point slightly forward of the forward limit of action of the head G, being held securely in such position by a suitable brace, S. The forward end of the rod Q passes through an opening or notch in a guiding-block, 11, which prevents lateral displacement, and is given a positive move ment by a rod, T, pivoted to the end of said rod and to the brace S. The extremity of the said rod Q, while being detached from a leather-holding lever, U, is provided with an abutment,V, and a catch projection,\V,whereby the said lever U is operated at the proper times.

At the upper end of the standard It is rigidly secured, preferably by forming a slot or saw-cut in the end of said standard, a stakingblade, X, having a rounded edge,which projeets above one portion of the table and stands at a pointjust forward of the clamp at-its forward stroke limit.

Forward of the staking-blade is the head of the lever U, in which is clamped or otherwise secured a portion or portions, Y, of soft or otherwise suitable materialsueh as felt, rubher, &c.which bear on the leather on the side thereof opposite that engaging the staking-blade and hold said leather in proper contact with said blade, so that the desired result is produced. Said portions Y are preferably so arranged as that the upper one, Y, as the holding-head passes toward the blade, will pass over the edge of the blade, while the lower one will lie against or near the side of said blade, a notch being thus formed which gives to the leather a peculiar bend over the blade as saidleather is drawn over.

The clamping-jaws Z 73 at the head of the leather-holding lever may be of any suitable construction.

In lieu of the felt, a soft roll may be employed to coact with the staking-blade.

As the crank-wheel and connecting-rod II bring the head G forward, the operator inserts the edge ofthe leather between the jaws J N of the clamp, and at or near the end of the forward stroke said leather is clamped. The operator so arranges the leather that it passes forward of the blade, between it and the holding-lever. The holding-head of the lever is at the moment of the clamping above described brought to hear on the opposite side of the leather by the abutment V of the forwardly-moving rod Q striking a backwardlyextemling rod, 2, connected with the lower end of the holding-lever, which causes the lower end of the holding-lever to move forward and its head backward toward the blade, the fulcrum 3 of the said lever being on the standard It at an intermediate point. As the conncctingrod H and head G pass backward, the clamping jaws J N continue to cooperate and draw the leather backward over the blade, the roller L and spring-arm K being brought into intimate relation, so that the full power of the spring is exerted to clamp the said leather.

The leather-holding head for pressing or holding the leather against the blade is caused to continue to press the leather against the knife during the backward movement of the leather and during the retreating movement of the connecting-rod and rod Q by the rod 2 being clamped by a cam or eccentric, 4, which is turned to clamp said rod 2 against a hearing, 5, formed in the standard It, by the abutment V striking an inclined portion, 1.6, of said eccentric as the head enters into opera ti ve engagement with the leather, thus locking said leathcrholding lever and head while the abutment and the leather-clamp N J move backward-the former away from the clamped rod 2. As the red It moves bacluvard, and with it the rod (Q, a hook at the end of a rod, 6, suspended from a projection, 8, of said standard by a rod, 7, approaches the catch projection W, when they engage, so that said rod is drawn backward. A hook, 9, at the opposite end of the suspended rod (3, engages a pin or lug, 10, and theineline portion 16 is turned downward automatically and the cam or eccentric released from clamping relation to the backwardly-extending rod 2, the releasing operation being accomplished at or about the moment the leather-clamp arrives at the rear end of its stroke and its jaws are opened to allow the readjustment of the leather. A. spring, 11, inserted between the lever U and the blade-standard, causes the head to move from the blade automatically, so that; the leather is free at this point also.

It will be observed that the horizontal bar N, secured to the head, moves reciprocally therewith. To provide a suitable support for the leather and to enable the operator to manipulate the same when the leather-clamp ing jaws are open, I have provided belts made, preferably, of canvas, which are tacked or otherwise fastened at their extremities to the said horizontal bar, movable with the head G, and are stretched over rollers 12 and 13, suitably journaled back of the rear limit of the stroke of the head to the frame and forward of the forward limit of said stroke on a frame, 1 1 15, connected to the standard. As the bar N reciprocates between said limits, the belt turns over said rollers, as will be understood. A roller is journaled at the back of the blade X 011 brackets 17 17 at apoint below the blade, so that the leather will have free access to the edge of said blade. Any slack in the upper or table portion of the belt is or may be taken up by means of weighted rolls 18 19, arranged across the lower portion of the belt and held in position by journal-bearing arms 20 2]., piv' otcd to thejournal of the rollers 18 1!).

I am aware that many changes of construction may be made in the device, and equivalent devices provided to secure the desired results, and 1 do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact arrangements positively described.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new is- 1. The combination, with a staking-blade, of a cushioned pressing-lever for holding the leather against said blade,and mcehanism,substantiall y as described, for drawing the leather over said blade, said parts being arranged and adapted to operate substantially as and for ing-lever for holding the leather against said blade, and a reciprocating clamp and means foroperating the same, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a staking-blade, of a cushion having a recess in the face thereof, whereby the leather is given a turn or bend over the edge of said blade, and means, substantially as described, for drawing the leather over said blade, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with a staking-blade, of a reciprocating clamp for drawing the leather over said blade, a lever, as U, provided with a cushion, and means, substantially as described, for operating said clamp and for causing said cushion to intermittently co-operate with the staking-blade, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with a staking-blade, of

a reciprocating clamp having clampingjaws' adapted to close automatically at a point near the staking-blade'and to open automatically at a point at a distance from said blade, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. The combination, with astaking-blade, of a reciprocating clamp having clamping-jaws adapted to close automatically at a point near the staking-blade and to open automatically at a point at a distance from said blade, and

' an intermittently-moving cushion for pressing the leather against said blade, substantially as, set forth.

7. In a staking-machine, the combination, with a staking-blade,and means, substantially as described, for drawing the leather thereovcr, of a belt arranged over suitable bearings and adapted to form a table or support for said leather, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. In a staking-machine, the clamp herein described, the jaws of which are adapted to openand close automatically, which consists of an oscillating beam, B, head G, having a longitudinally-projecting portion, N, and a 00- operating clamping-jaw, J, adapted to clamp the leather against said portion N and draw it over said staking-blade, substantially as set forth.

clamping-jaw for clamping the leather to said head, a crank-wheel, a connecting-rod rigidly attached to said head, and a suitable system of levers and connecting-rods for operating said cushion, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

11. In a staking-machine, a stationary staking-blade, an intermittently-moving cushion, a reciprocally-moving head, belts attached to said head, rollers to hold said belts in place, and means for giving a reciprocating movement'to said head and an intermittent move ment to said cushion, substantially as andfor the purposes set forth.

12. Ina staking-machine, a rocking arm, as B, having a pivotally-arranged head, as G, provided with a longitudinally-extending angular bottom portion, as N N, a pivotally-arranged cooperating clampingjaw, as J, suitable mechanism to give a reciprocating motion to said head and clamping-jaw, a pivotally-arranged lever, as U, having a cushion on the top thereof, a spring, as 11, a system of levers, a clamping device, and an automatic releasing device for said lever U, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

13. In a staking-machine, a rocking arm, reciprocally-moving head, and cooperating clamping jaw, substantially as herein described, a lever, as U, clamp, as Z, cushion, as" Y, spring, as 11, system of levers and connecting-rods, as O P Q T, rod 2, attached to the lever U, eccentric and cam, as 4 and 16, abutments, as V V, to co-operate with the rod 2, and cam 16, to throw the bottom end of said lever U forward and clamp it, pins or projections, as 10 and \V, and a hooked lever, as 6, all said parts being combined and adapted to operate substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

14. In a staking-machine, a stationary stakingblade, as X, and holder, as R, an intermittently-moving cushion, a reciprocally-moving head and rocking arm, mechanism, such as herein described, for giving the required motion to said parts, a clamping-lever, as J, a roller, as M, spring, as K, and an antifriction-roller, as L, all said parts being arranged and adapted to operate substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

15. In a staking-machine, a stationary blade,

.forth.

- In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 22d day of December, 1886.

ALBERT MILTON BOWERS. Witnesses:

CHARLES H. PELL, WM. S. CORWIN. 

